May 2007 - Posts

2007 Program Series completed. The 2007 program series was completed on Friday, May 13 with a talk by Dianne Thurston on the diary of Deidamia Shepard, a Barkhamsted resident living on a farm in the late 1890s. Each year the Barkhamsted Historical Society sponsors a program series held on the second Friday of each month from February to May. The programs are held at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center on West River Road, about 1 mile up from the bridge in Pleasant Valley. Watch for information on our 2008 series. Below are the programs from 2007 that we hope you were able to attend. Thanks so much to Walt Landgraf, Mike Day, Linne Landgraf, Laura Mazza-Dixon and Dianne Thurston for giving their time for these wonderful programs.

Friday, February 9, 2007

Barkhamsted Products to the Sea. Walt Landgraf focused on the products from our forests, farms and industries that entered the world economy via sailing vessels during the 1700's to 1800's. Many Barkhamsted families depended on this trade for part or all of their income. Products included cheese, sheep, cattle, chairs, wagons, barrels, farm tools and ship building materials.

Friday, March 9, 2007 Mike Day covered The One-Room School House; What Was It Really Like? Using excerpts from letters, official reports and first hand accounts Mike provided a glimpse into the reality of nineteenth century education. Questions about class size, age range, building conditions, discipline, teacher concerns and the treatment of young children were answered using the words of a number of nineteenth century teachers including references to Barkhamsted schools.

Friday, April 13, 2007Music of Colonial America featuring Laura Mazza-Dixon on guitar and viola da gamba and Linne Landgraf on flute and recorder playing songs and dance tunes that would have been familiar to folks in the colonies of the 1600's and early 1700's. Music was part of community gatherings, story telling and family activities and came to this country with the new settlers.

Friday, May 11, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.Dianne Thurston told the intriguing story of the long lost Diary of Deidamia Shepard, who lived on a rural farm in Barkhamsted during the 1800's. When first found, the diary was shrouded in mystery. It was not readily apparent who the writer was or where she lived. Dianne told us how she discovered the person behind the diary and some of the details of life on a Barkhamsted farm over 100 years ago.